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“Why?” Hugo stood, ready to continue the fight.

“Look.” Thaddeus pointed toward the carriage and the rider.

The dark cloaked rider dismounted his horse and withdrew his sword. The flaming sword flashed in the air as the rider unsheathed the blade from his side.

Thaddeus never took his eyes off the rider as he stood. He reached out and grabbed Hugo, shoving him toward the porch steps. “Get inside now!” Thaddeus jogged up the stairs. He wasted no time crossing the porch to enter the house.

Hugo’s breath shortened as the cloaked figure approached. Without a second thought, Hugo scrambled up the steps, using his hands and feet to climb the steps of the porch. He rose upon reaching the top and bolted across the porch before stopping in the doorway. His lungs burned as he turned to face the new threat.

The rider stopped in the yard. He sheathed his sword. His faceless stare glowered at Hugo. The rider didn’t move, his hand still on the hilt. His cloak flickered in the breeze, the only movement from the headless rider.

Hugo’s stomach dropped, and his heart sank. It skipped a beat or two. The unnerving glare of the rider sent a chill up his spine. The rider never spoke. He stood there. Unmoving. Glaring. Waiting.

Hugo licked his lips. His heart beat against his chest. As much as it pained him, Hugo needed Thaddeus if he were to survive in this place.

Three more knocks rang out into the sky.

Hugo’s fingers tapped the doorframe before he slipped inside and shut the door.

Chapter 8

Take Two

Eight more days until Christmas. Please work this time.

Alice lit one last incense stick, placing it in one of the many wooden holders around the arcane symbol she drew on the hardwood floor. She wafted her hand over the rising smoke to spread the cleansing vapor cloud throughout the space. The smells in her living room assaulted her senses. A mixture of incense she purchased from Madame Sophia all vied for control of her sense of smell.

She breathed in deeply the mixed cocktail of odors. Alice couldn’t take any chances this time. She needed to purify her space, ensuring any ill intent from the spirit realm didn’t manifest itself in the material world. The mixture from Madame Sophia had to do the trick.

She glanced over at Max, seated and waiting patiently for Alice to do something. Her hairy tail brushed across the floor like a feather duster, scattering any pieces of debris. The young golden retriever’s body shook with anticipation as, from what Alice could infer, she waited for instructions on how to play this new game. Alice recognized her expression. Max was waiting for the signal to play a game of wrestling on the floor. Hugo had played it often.

“Not today, Max,” Alice said, raising her hand.

Max laid down, and her tail stopped wagging. She let out a low groan of disapproval.

Alice chuckled. “This will work, Max. I know it will. In a few moments, our Hugo will be home again.”

Alice positioned herself at the base of the circle, away from the tip pointing north. With a snap of her fingers, the room darkened. Lamps turned off. Candles scattered throughout the room dimmed. Their eerie glow cast a dance of shadows across the walls. Their melted wax bubbled as it dripped down their sticks of black, purple, red, white, and green. The dim light wasn’t necessary, but it provided a much-needed ambiance to the occasion.

Alice flipped through the pages of The Book of the Dead. She found yet another spell to conjure spirits, this time channeling them through an object—Hugo’s hockey stick. Alice’s fingers traced the arcane words across the stained pages as she recited them under her breath. The book shook and trembled. Alice reeled back on her heels.

“Okay,” Alice said. “The shaking is kind of new.”

The book reverberated in her hands, pulsating back and forth. It stopped and then continued. Slight vibrations. As if it were signaling out to someone . . . or something.

Alice glanced over at Max, who still waited patiently by Alice’s side.

“This . . . this is a good thing. Yeah. A good thing. It’s probably working as I’m preparing the spell. Calling to Hugo. Yeah. Summoning Hugo,” Alice said.

Max waved her tail back and forth across the hardwood floor.

Alice’s heart thrummed in her chest. A tingle went up her spine. Her fingers tapped against the back of the book as she finished reading over the last bits of the spell.

“Okay, Max,” Alice said as she placed the book next to the circle. “Here we go.”

She tucked her knees in underneath her and sat back on her heels. Alice sat upright, straightening her chest. She gave a tug to her curved, pointed witch’s hat. Her lucky hat. Clearly, it was the missing ingredient from her last attempt at manifestation, and she wouldn’t be without it this time. She rubbed her knees and bounced a little on her heels.

Her eyes focused on the circle. She breathed deeply, never averting her gaze. Her mind cleared. She only thought of Hugo.